General

Scrooge U: Part XIV — How Alan Young became a lucky McDuck

Jim Hill continues his series on the many movie & television adaptations of Charles Dickens’ classic holiday tale. This time around, Jim talks about Disney’s 1983 animated featurette, “Mickey’s Christmas Carol”

Published

18 years ago

December 5, 2006

Jim Hill

You want to hear something ironic? It was an act of generosity that — in a roundabout way — led to Alan Young being cast as the world’s most miserly duck.

I’m serious, folks. Back in the 1960s, this “Mr. Ed” star helped a young man who was just getting started in the entertainment industry. And that man’s name was Gary Krisel.

Now Krisel would eventually go on to become head of Disney’s worldwide records & music publishing businesses. And — before Gary left the Walt Disney Company in 1995 — he would eventually rise to the position of president of television animation.

Mind you, by the mid-1970s, Krisel wasn’t yet one of the Mouse House’s high muckety-mucks. He was just an exec at Walt Disney Records who still felt very grateful toward Mr. Young for helping Gary get his start in the biz. Which is why Krisel asked Young to come by his office one afternoon.

Gary then showed Alan some artwork of several Disney favorites dressed as Dickens characters. Krisel explained that these illustrations had been created for an earlier Walt Disney Records project that hadn’t fared all that well. Which Gary was now looking to revive.

Knowing that Young was a writer, Gary asked Alan if he’d be interested in riding herd on this revival. Which would involve creating a brand-new recording that would tell the story of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Only with Scrooge McDuck & a host of other Disney characters playing all the parts in this holiday tale.

Now, what Krisel didn’t know was that — back in his youth — Young had actually been a member of a Dickens society. So Alan was intimately familiar with this author’s writings. More to the point, Young had spent much of his youth in Edinburgh, Scotland. Which meant that Alan could summon up an authentic sounding Scottish burr at the drop of a tam.

In short, Young was the perfect guy to assign the “Dickens-Christmas-Carol-as-performed-by-that-popular-repertory-company,-the-Walt-Disney-Players” project to. Working with veteran sitcom writer Alan Dinehart, Alan crafted a script for this LP that served the story well in addition to providing a great showcase for the Disney characters.

And — when it came to the final product — Young took a very hands-on approach. He not only co-produced this recording, Alan even went on to voice three of the characters that were featured on this “Dickens’ Christmas Carol” storyteller album: Scrooge McDuck, Mickey Mouse and Merlin from Disney’s “Sword in the Stone” (Who — in this version of the classic holiday tale — played the Ghost of Christmas Past).

Released in 1975, this “Dickens’ Christmas Carol” storyteller album was a huge success. Over the next few years, tens of thousands of copies of this LP would sell every holiday season. And — with each Christmas that passed — this new version of this holiday classic would acquire more & more fans.

And — along the way — one of the people who eventually became a fan of this “Dickens’ Christmas Carol” storyteller album was WDFA veteran Burny Mattinson.

Now Burny was always on the look for stories that could then be used as the basis for new animated productions at the studio. And here was a recording that had actually been produced in-house that gave the classic Disney characters great roles to play. To Mattinson’s way of thinking, WDFA producing a movie version of this “Dickens’ Christmas Carol” storyteller LP was a no-brainer.

So — once Ron Miller, the then-head of Walt Disney Productions, signed off on the project — Burny began assembling a team that would help him change this LP into an animated featurette. Recruiting some of WDFA’s top young talents to come work on what was now known as “Mickey’s Christmas Carol.”

Among the then-young turks who were quick to climb on board this project was master animator Glen Keane (left), who handled Willie the Giant & Goofy in this picture, and David Block (right). Block’s name may not be as familar as Keane’s is to all you feature animation fans out there. Which is perfectly understandable. Given that David has been concentrating his efforts on the television animation side of things at Disney for over 20 years now. But — trust me, folks — if you’ve ever watched an episode of “The Gummi Bears,” “DuckTales” or “Kim Possible,” you’ve been enjoying David Block’s work.

Anyway … Getting back to “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” again … David Block handled Scrooge McDuck on this project, while Mark Henn worked on Mickey Mouse. Of course, given that it had been nearly 30 years since Mickey last appeared on the big screen (In the 1953 animated short, “The Simple Things“), some research was in order. Which is why Henn then spent hours digging around in the studio’s morgue, looking for examples of how other artists had handled the Mouse.

I’ve included the two photos below not just because the one on the left is a nice shot of Mark in the middle of doing some research for this film …

… But also because it shows how times have changed at the Walt Disney Company. The shot on the left is Disney’s morgue circa 1983. When animation drawings from as far back as “Plane Crazy” were stored in loose manila folders that were then stacked on wooden racks in the studio’s dark & damp basement.

The photo of the right shows Disney’s ARL (I.E. Animation Research Library). Where these same drawings are now carefully catalogued under climate controlled conditions. Where the archivists who work there all wear white gloves to insure that they won’t ever damage this highly valuable material.

Interesting to see how things can change in 25 years, isn’t it?

Anywho … Back to “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” again … One of the other reasons that Mark Henn was digging through files in the morgue was to check out earlier featurettes that had put Mickey in a starring role. Given that “Mickey and the Beanstalk” had only been 29 minutes long, it was felt that this portion of “Fun and Fancy Free” might provide a good template for “Mickey’s Christmas Carol.” Give this next generation of Disney animators some sense of how best to structure a story that was less than feature-length.

Ironically enough, it was while “Mickey and the Beanstalk” was in production back in 1946 that Walt finally decided that he could no longer handle recording all of Mickey’s dialogue. Which is why — starting with that featurette — Disney turned most of his Mouse-voicing responsibilties over to longtime studio soundman, Jimmy MacDonald.

35 years later, as production on “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” was just getting underway, Jimmy felt that it was once again time to pass that mouse-shaped baton. Which is why MacDonald suggested that his assistant, Wayne Allwine, take over as the Mouse’s official spokesperson. And Wayne has been speaking for Mickey ever since.

Speaking of voices … You want to hear something bizarre? Alan Young almost didn’t get the chance to provide Scrooge McDuck’s voice in “Mickey’s Christmas Carol.” Why For? Because — as production was gearing up on this animated featurette — people at the studio were reportedly reluctant to give this old sitcom star a call. They supposedly thought that Young wouldn’t want this job.

Mind you, Alan only finds out that Disney is getting ready to produce an animated version of his “Dickens’ Christmas Carol” storyteller LP when a friend asks for Young’s help in preparing for an upcoming audition. You see, this actor pal of Alan’s knew that Young could do a killer Scottish accent. And this performer was hoping that Alan could give him a few tips about how to do a good Scottish accent before he went in for this audition at Disney.

So this friend drops by Young’s house with the pages that he’s been given for this upcoming Disney audition. And as Alan reviews this material, he realizes that these pages are an excerpt of the script that he & Alan Dinehart had written for that “Dickens’ Christmas Carol” storyteller LP some eight years earlier.

So Young then calls an executive over at Disney Studios and asks if they’re now making a movie version of that recording that he wrote & co-produced. This suit says “Yes.” So Alan then says “Well, can I please come in and audition for the role of Scrooge?” And the exec says “Sure.”

So Young goes over to the Burbank lot and absolutely nails his audition for Scrooge McDuck. Which isn’t all that surprising. Given the terrific job that he’d done with this very same character some eight years earlier. So Alan is then offered the part … And he’s been voicing Scrooge McDuck ever since.

As to why Alan wasn’t originally asked to audition for this role in “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” … The stories that I’ve heard suggest some folks at WDFA thought that Young might consider it beneath him to be asked to voice a cartoon character. Particularly on a project that he’d originally helped create. So — rather than possibly offend Alan — they opted not to call him in.

When he finally heard Disney’s lame excuse for not getting in touch with him about the Scrooge McDuck auditions, Young allegedly replied: “Hey, I worked in television for five years with a talking horse. At this point in my career, nothing’s beneath me.”

As for the movie itself, “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” isn’t actually an adaptation of Dickens’ classic tale. It’s more of a burlesque of this holiday favorite. With Scrooge McDuck basically wisequacking his way through the first half of the film.

Fans of this featurette might be intrigued to learn that the roles of Ghost of Christmas Present & Christmas Future were played by different Disney characters on the “Dickens’ Christmas Carol” storyteller LP. As I mentioned earlier, it was Merlin the Magician — rather than Jiminy Cricket — who showed Ebenezer the errors of his past on that recording. And as for the Ghost of Christmas Future … Would you believe the Witch / Old Peddler Woman from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” rather than Black Pete?

Of course, one of the main reasons that animation fans love this film is the large number of classic Disney characters who make quick cameo appearances in “Mickey’s Christmas Carol.” Hell, this animated featurette sometimes seems like a “Mr. Toad” reunion special. Given that Toad turns up in the role of Fezziwig, while McBadger can briefly be seen dancing at the holiday party. Meanwhile Ratty & Mole make an appearance as the two gentlemen who try & solicit a charitable contribution from Scrooge, …

… Cyril turns up as nephew Fred (Who’s played by Donald Duck)’s horse while the weasels from that film play the gravediggers who are getting ready to bury Ebenezer.

Speaking of the graveyard sequence … It’s at this exact moment in “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” that this WDFA featurette goes from being just a burlesque of Dickens’ classic story to becoming a movie that genuinely touches you. And it’s all on the back of Mark Henn’s masterful animation of Mickey tenderly placing that crutch on Tiny Tim’s grave. Not a single word is spoken. But as Mickey starts to tear up … Your heart automatically goes out to this character.

And — from that point forward — you’re hooked. You’re now emotionally invested in this picture. Which is why you can’t help but smile when the now-reformed Scrooge arrives at the Crachit household with a bagload of toys & holiday treats.

So alright. So “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” may not be the most faithful adaptation of Dickens’ beloved tale. It may not even be the best animated version of this holiday favorite (Sorry, Disneyana fans. But I still think that Mr. Magoo has Mickey beat. That cartoon “Christmas Carol” does a far better job of telling Dickens’ story. More to the point, that holiday special never substitutes genuine emotion for quick laughs). But — that said — there’s still a lot to like about this 1983 featurette.

If anything, Alan Young’s story about he came to land his Scrooge McDuck gig should provide a very valuable lesson. Especially to those of you who work in the entertainment industry.

And that lesson is … Never hesitate to give anyone who’s just getting started a leg up. For today’s go-fer could be tomorrow’s CEO. Someone who could then possibly give you a leg up in your career.

And speaking of tomorrow … Tomorrow, we take a look at how Academy-Award winner George C. Scott plays Ebenezer Scrooge. He’s one manly miser.

Your thoughts?

General

Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District

Published

9 years ago

June 23, 2015

Jim Hill

Greetings from NYC. Nancy and I drove down from New
Hampshire yesterday because we'll be checking out
Disney Consumer Products' annual Holiday Showcase later today.

Anyway … After checking into our hotel (i.e., The Paul.
Which is located down in NYC's NoMad district), we decided to grab some dinner.
Which is how we wound up at the Melt Shop.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is this restaurant that only sells grilled cheese sandwiches.
This comfort food was delicious, but kind of on the heavy side.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is why — given that it was a beautiful summer night
— we'd then try and walk off our meals. We started our stroll down by the Empire
State Building
…

Photo by Jim Hill

… and eventually wound up just below Times
Square (right behind where the Waterford Crystal Times Square New
Year's Eve Ball is kept).

Photo by Jim Hill

But you know what we discovered en route? Right in the heart
of Manhattan's Garment District
along Broadway between 36th and 41st? This incredibly cool series of life-like
and life-sized sculptures that Seward
Johnson has created.

Photo by Jim Hill

And — yes — that is Abraham Lincoln (who seems to have
slipped out of WDW's Hall of Presidents when no one was looking and is now
leading tourists around Times Square). These 18 painted
bronze pieces (which were just installed late this past Sunday night / early
Monday morning) range from the surreal to the all-too-real.

Photo by Jim Hill

Some of these pieces look like typical New Yorkers. Like the
business woman planning out her day …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.

Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there were also statues representing people who were
from out-of-town …

Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.

Photo by Jim Hill

These were the Seward Johnson pieces that genuinely beguiled. Famous impressionist paintings brought to life in three dimensions.

Note the out-of-period water bottle that some tourist left
behind. Photo by Jim Hill

Some of them so lifelike that you actually had to pause for
a moment (especially as day gave way to night in the city) and say to yourself
"Is that one of the bronzes? Or just someone pretending to be one of these
bronzes?"

Mind you, for those of you who aren't big fans of the
impressionists …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there's also an array of American icons. Among them
Marilyn Monroe …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and that farmer couple from Grant Wood's "American
Gothic."

Photo by Jim Hill

But for those of you who know your NYC history, it's hard to
beat that piece which recreates Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous photograph of V-J Day in Times Square.

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, a 25-foot-tall version of this particular Seward
Johnson piece ( which — FYI — is entitled "Embracing Peace") will actually
be placed in Times Square for a few days on or around August 14th to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day).

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, if you'd like to check these Seward Johnson bronzes in
person (which — it should be noted — are part of the part of the Garment
District Alliance's new public art offering) — you'd best schedule a trip to
the City sometime over the next three months. For these pieces will only be on
display now through September 15th.

General

Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues

Published

9 years ago

June 10, 2015

Jim Hill

Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held
at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las
Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo.
Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to
get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures &
TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates
(Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be
sending our way over the next two years or so.

Photo by Jim Hill

Take — for example — all of "The Secret Life of
Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the
show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination
Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which
was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed
suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny
animated feature.

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo
attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production
coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And
that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which
premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but
won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had
three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.

Photo by Jim Hill

And Warner Bros. — because they wanted "Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today — brought
the Batmobile to Las Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes
would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.

Photo by Jim Hill

That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating
about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come
around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie"
and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production
right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that
"The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November
6th of this year.

Photo by Jim Hill

And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even
longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series
doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July
15, 2016.

Photo by Jim Hill

Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate
gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to
be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take — for example — how the WWE
booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which — I'm guessing — meant
that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like
the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the
top rope, Royal Rumble-style.

Photo by Jim Hill

I also have to admit that — as a longtime Star Trek fan —
it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the
CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th
Anniversary logo.

Photo by Jim Hill

I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson
Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a
post-Muppets identity for itself.

Photo by Jim Hill

Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned
about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs & write-downs &
projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was
nice to see that booth bustling.

Photo by Jim Hill

Every so often, you'd come across some people who were
promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to
see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia
Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis —
who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator — is
riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think
"Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature
will turn out fine."

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo
of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still
can't believe — especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage
popped up online last year — that Sony execs decided not to go forward
with production of Genndy Tartakovsky's
"Popeye" movie. But that's the
cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break
your heart.

Photo by Jim Hill

And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all
about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when —
as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay
Bay Convention Center
— the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming,
sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals &
signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already
announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.

Photo by Jim Hill

"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you
ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing
Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping
Disney-related products. Take — for example — the Disney Wikkeez people.

Photo by Jim Hill

I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is
hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt,
these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm
that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what
happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the
Company's North American retail partners.

Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of Disney's retail partners … They were
meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the
official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.

Photo by Jim Hill

And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless
Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm brands that
would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."

Photo by Jim Hill

And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no
longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls
(i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this
wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its
many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo
screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little
girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."

Photo by Jim Hill

One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner,
Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park"
to theaters sometime in 2017.

Photo by Jim Hill

Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues
that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm
just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.

Your thoughts?

General

It takes more than three circles to craft a Classic version of Mickey Mouse

Published

9 years ago

June 9, 2015

Jim Hill

You know what Mickey Mouse looks like, right? Little guy,
big ears?

Truth be told, Disney's corporate symbol has a lot of
different looks. If Mickey's interacting with Guests at Disneyland
Park (especially this summer, when
the Happiest Place on Earth
is celebrating its 60th anniversary), he looks & dresses like this.

Or when he's appearing in one of those Emmy Award-winning shorts that Disney
Television Animation has produced (EX: "Bronco Busted," which debuts
on the Disney Channel tonight at 8 p.m. ET / PT), Mickey is drawn in a such a
way that he looks hip, cool, edgy & retro all at the same time.

Looking ahead to 2017 now, when Disney Junior rolls out "Mickey and the
Roadster Racers," this brand-new animated series will feature a sportier version
of Disney's corporate symbol. One that Mouse House managers hope will persuade
preschool boys to more fully embrace this now 86 year-old character.

That's what most people don't realize about the Mouse. The
Walt Disney Company deliberately tailors Mickey's look, even his style of
movement, depending on what sort of project / production he's appearing in.

Take — for example — Disney
California Adventure
Park's "World of Color:
Celebrate!" Because Disney's main mouse would be co-hosting this new
nighttime lagoon show with ace emcee Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Goldberg really had
to step up Mickey's game. Which is why this master Disney animator created
several minutes of all-new Mouse animation which then showed that Mickey was
just as skilled a showman as Neil was.

Better yet, let's take a look at what the folks at Avalanche Studios just went
through as they attempted to create a Classic version of Mickey & Minnie.
One that would then allow this popular pair to become part of Disney Infinity
3.0.

"I won't lie to you. We were under a lot of pressure to
get the look of this particular version of Mickey — he's called Red Pants
Mickey around here — just right," said Jeff Bunker, the VP of Art
Development at Avalanche Studios, during a recent phone interview. "When
we brought Sorcerer Mickey into Disney Infinity 1.0 back in January of 2014,
that one was relatively easy because … Well, everyone knows what Mickey Mouse
looked like when he appeared in 'Fantasia.' "

"But this time around, we were being asked to design
THE Mickey & Minnie," Bunker continued. "And given that these Classic
Disney characters have been around in various different forms for the better
part of the last century … Well, which look was the right look?"

Which is why Jeff and his team at Avalanche Studios began watching hours &
hours of Mickey Mouse shorts. As they tried to get a handle on which look would
work best for these characters in Disney Infinity 3.0.

"And we went all the way back to the very start of Mickey's career. We began
with 'Steamboat Willie' and then watched all of those black & white Mickey shorts
that Walt made back in the late 1920s & early 1930s. From there, we
transitioned to his Technicolor shorts. Which is when Mickey went from being
this pie-eyed, really feisty character to more of a well-behaved leading
man," Bunker recalled. "We then finished out our Mouse marathon by
watching all of those new Mickey shorts that Paul Rudish & his team have
been creating for Disney Television Animation. Those cartoons really recapture
a lot of the spirit and wild slapstick fun that Mickey's early, black &
white shorts had."

But given that the specific assignment that Avalanche Studios had been handed
was to create the most appealing looking, likeable version of Mickey Mouse
possible … In the end, Jeff and his team wound up borrowing bits & pieces
from a lot of different versions of the world's most famous mouse. So that
Classic Mickey would then look & move in a way that best fit the sort of
gameplay which people would soon be able to experience with Disney Infinity
3.0.

"That — in a lot of ways — was actually the toughest
part of the Classic Mickey design project. You have to remember that one of the
key creative conceits of Disney Infinity
is that all the characters which appear in this game are toys," Bunker
stated. "Okay. So they're beautifully detailed, highly stylized toy
versions of beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm characters. But
they're still supposed to be toys. So our Classic versions of Mickey &
Minnie have the same sort of thickness & sturdiness to them that toys have.
So that they'll then be able to fit right in with all of the rest of the
characters that Avalanche Studios had previously designed for Disney Infinity."

And then there was the matter of coming up with just the
right pose for Classic Mickey & Minnie. Which — to hear Jeff tell the
story — involved input from a lot of Disney upper management.

"Everyone within the Company seemed to have an opinion
about how Mickey & Minnie should be posed. More to the point, if you Google
Mickey, you then discover that there are literally thousands of poses out there
for these two. Though — truth be told — a lot of those kind of play off the
way Mickey poses when he's being Disney's corporate symbol," Bunker said.
"But what I was most concerned about was that Mickey's pose had to work
with Minnie's pose. Because we were bringing the Classic versions of these
characters up into Disney Infinity 3.0 at the exact same time. And we wanted to
make sure — especially for those fans who like to put their Disney Infinity
figures on display — that Mickey's pose would then complement Minnie.

Which is why Jeff & the crew at Avalanche Studios
decided — when it came to Classic Mickey & Minnie's pose — that they
should go all the way back to the beginning. Which is why these two Disney icons
are sculpted in such a way that it almost seems as though you're witnessing the
very first time Mickey set eyes on Minnie.

"And what was really great about that was — as soon as
we began showing people within the Company this pose — everyone at Disney
quickly got on board with the idea. I mean, the Classic Mickey that we sculpted
for Disney Infinity 3.0 is clearly a very playful, spunky character. But at the
same time, he's obviously got eyes for Minnie," Bunker concluded. "So
in the end, we were able to come up with Classic versions of these characters
that will work well within the creative confines of Disney Infinity 3.0 but at
the same time please those Disney fans who just collect these figures because
they like the way the Disney Infinity characters look."

So now that this particular design project is over, does
Jeff regret that Mouse House upper management was so hands-on when it came to
making sure that the Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie were specifically
tailored to fit the look & style of gameplay found in Disney Infinity 3.0?

"To be blunt, we go through this every time we add a new character to the
game. The folks at Lucasfilm were just as hands-on when we were designing the
versions of Darth Vader and Yoda that will also soon be appearing in Disney
Infinity 3.0," Bunker laughed. "So in the end, if the character's
creators AND the fans are happy, then I'm happy."

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 9, 2015